Gabrielle Giffords to Bard College grads: 'Find your purpose'

Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly acknowledge the crowd on Saturday at Bard College. (Photo by William J. Kemble)

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. -- One of the great love stories of the 21st century was on display Saturday at Bard College's commencement as former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, shared the stage and spoke of how their grounded aspirations helped them reach great heights.

The couple -- she the survivor of a gunshot wound to the head and he a former space shuttle commander -- received a standing ovation from the 615 graduates in the Bard Class of 2013. It was a tribute to Giffords' ongoing effort to overcome the effects of the January 2011 attack and to Kelly's devotion to his wife during her recovery.

"Thank you for this honor," said Giffords, who received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. "Graduates, your future shines bright. Find your purpose and go for it. Starting tomorrow, you can change the world. The nation is counting on you to create and to innovate."

Giffords, who served in both the Arizona Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives, was gracious on Saturday, waving to many of the people taking her picture and blowing kisses to those who wished her well.

Advertisement

Kelly spoke highly of his wife.

"Gabby's bravery shines bright," he said. "For me, she is literally redefining how I think about the word courage. She has set her sights on a distant horizon, a country dramatically safer from gun violence, and she works hard every day -- with physical therapy, speech therapy and even yoga -- to make sure she's in shape to get there."

Kelly added that "it is a as bold a dream as my (dream of a) Mars landing, but she has a specific path to get there."

Kelly, who has four space shuttle flights to his credit, encouraged the students to believe in the impossible.

"Our friend and my hero Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, remembers being amazed in 1961 when President Kennedy said we would get to the moon," he said. "Jim says he thought that was impossible. Then, as many of you may know, he flew there twice." (Lovell never actually landed on the moon. His Apollo 8 mission, in 1968, circled the moon 10 times; and Apollo 13, which was to land on the lunar surface, had to abort its mission in 1970 after an on-board explosion.)

Kelly, noting that a young girl and an aide to Giffords were among the six people killed in the attack that wounded his wife, encouraged the Bard graduates to recognize that they can accomplish their dreams but should be prepared to reinvent themselves when necessary.

"Gabby and I are living proof that the most bold thing you can think of, flying to outer space or being elected to the United States Congress, you can achieve," he said. "We are also living proof that things can change for any of us in an instant."